Spring plank



. Nov. 9, 1926.

. D. S. BARROWS SPRING PLANK Filed Sept. 7. 1923 um I fox 2 Grimm Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

stares DONALD S. BARROVJQ, OF ROCHESTER, NEW" YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE SYMINGTON COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

SPRING PLANK.

Application filed. September 7, 1923. Serial No. 661,407.-

My invention relates to spring planks, and has been primarily designed for use in con nection with a wrought metal side frame formed from a sheet metal blank or blanks shaped to provide spaced side walls,'each of said walls having top arch bar portions, bottom arch bar portions, and truck column portions. 1

One of the principal features of the invention is to provide a spring plank designed to fit within the bolster opening and having a portion adapted to directly seat or rest upon the beam member uniting the truck columns, said construction permitting of an increased depth of the beam member with out affecting the standard dimensions of bolster opening or lessening the required rail clearance of the side frame beneath the beam member.

Another obj ect of the invention resides in the provision of a spring plank saddle casting or seat member shaped so as to permit the spring plank to rest upon the beam member of the side frame throughout substantially its full length between the truck columns, said casting being provided with proj ecting webs having depending flanges which engage the side walls of the side frame at points adjacent the beam member and truck columns, said webs and flanges being united by integral cross members passing through the bolster opening adjacent the truck columns to which cross members the side edges of the spring plank are connected. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a strong construction of spring plank involving a seat member having an opening therein, said seat member being formed with projecting portions forming spaced spring plank seating surfaces arranged adjacent each side of the bolster opening and disposed in horizontal alinement with the upper face of the beam connecting the truck columns, the opposite ends of said projecting portions being continued upwardly adjacent the truck columns and united by means extending through the bolster opening above the said seating surfaces.

A still further feature of the invention is to produce a spring plank seat casting of relatively light weight but of great strength value in which the portions of the casting adjacent the junctions of the. side. walls with the inturned stiffening flanges of the side frame are shaped so as to conform to the several curvatures incident to said junctions, whereby a rigid and reliable con nection is established between the side frame and spring plank for resisting the longitudinal and lateral stresses developed under service conditions.

The invention further consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter referred to and pointed out in the claims.

Inthe drawings illustrating an embodiment of my invention as applied to a wrought metal side frame,-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in sectional elevation of a car truck side frame showing my improved construction of spring plank positioned thereon, a portion of said plank being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the truck columns of the side frame illustrating in top plan View the spring plank and seat member attached thereto.

Figure 3 is a detail transverse sectional view through the cross member or beam portions of the side frame showing the seat casting and spring plank positioned thereon.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the seat member or casting viewed in end elevation.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views, my improved spring plank is shown applied to a wrought metal side frame having an inner wall 1 and an outer wall 2 formed from a continuous sheet metal blank or a plurality of blanks, each of said walls being formed with top arch bar portions providing the compression member, bottom arch bar portions continued beneath the bolster opening in the nature of a connecting member or beam, and truck column portions uniting the compression and beam members of the truck. The truck columns are indicated by the numeral 3 and the beam member by the numeral 4, the compression member, and other portions of the side frame not being shown, involving, as they do, a known construction set forth in Patent No. 1,422,074, granted to G. A. Anderson, July 11, 1922.

In my present construction of side frame the sides of the truck column portions adjacent the bolster opening are bordered by stiffening flanges 5 which preferably are continued across the upper portion of the bolster openin The column stiffening flanges are also designed to merge into connecting flanges which border the lower end of the bolster opening, said flanges being indicated by the numeral 6 and, in addition to stiflening the inner and outer walls they also provide a spring plank seat portion adapted to receive the spring plank. The truck column stiffening flanges merge into the corresponding stiffening flanges at the base of the bolster opening through a suit able curving of the flanges at their respective points of junction, said curving causing the least possible stretching and consequent straining of the metal at these critical points of the side frame.

The spring plank is shown in the form of a channel member having a base or web portion 7 and upstanding side flanges or edges 8. Connected to each end of the spring plank is a spring plank seat member or saddle casting 9, said member being of a shape which permits each end portion of the web 7 of the spring plank to rest directly upon the inturned stiifening flanges 6 providing the upper surface or scat portion of the beam member 4.

The member 9 is cast in the nature of a hollow square and more particularly a rectangle, the bounding edge portions thereof being connected to the base portion and side flanges of the spring plank by rivets or other suitable means so'as to position the bottom surface of the spring plank flush with the upper surface of the saddle member upon which the adjacent portions of the spring plank seat. This construction of seat casting permits of the beam member being increased in depth with a corresponding strength value, said increase in depth occur ring throughout the full length of the beam member as distinguished from only portions thereof adjacent the truck columns which portions have been increased. in depth to overcome failures at these points of the side frame.

The spring plank seat member is provided with spaced horizontal webs 10 arranged adjacent each side of the bolster opening and projecting therefrom a distance suflicient to form reliable spring plank seating and riveting areas, as shown. Rivets 11 serve to rigidly connect the spring plank to the hori zontal webs or flanges of the seat member, some of said rivets being countersunk flush with-the top of the plank to permit of the seating of the springs, the heads of the adja cent rivets not countersunk acting to retain the springs in position upon the plank.

Flanges 12 depend from the web portions 10, said flanges being longitudinally disposed and adapted to embrace the neighboring portions of the frame adjacent the bolster opening, and thus serve to resist any spreading or separation of the walls of the side frame at this point. Separation of the inner and outer walls of the frame adjacent the lower end of the bolster opening ma be also provided against by welding the a ut ting edges of the inturned stiffening flanges upon which the spring plank rests. The upper inner portions of the flanges are inwardly curved as indicated at 13, said portions being shaped to conform to the curves produced at the junctions of the side walls with the stiffening flanges 6, the curving of the depending flanges at their upper ends providing projecting lip portions which err-- tend beneath the spring plank a distance sufficient to overlie the side wall portions of the frame forming the beam member. This construction acts to sustain the vertical loads without requiring the web of the seat memher to be continued across the beam.

The longitudinally disposed depending flanges 12 are continued beyond the truck col umns, said flanges being preferably enlarger as indicated at let and reinforced by the angular webs or flanges 15 preferably constituting continuations of the horizontal web portions 10. The enlarged ends l t of the flanges 12 are also continued upwardly beyond the junctions of the truck column por tions with the beam member, said ends being integrally united with transversely ext-ending bars or cross members 16 which pass through the bolster opening and connect the spaced portions of the seat member.

The cross bars 16 project laterally beyond the side walls of the side frame and are merged into the end portions of the horizontal webs 10 which, as shown, are bent upwardly to conform to the shape of the spring plank at the juncture of its web 1 with the flanges 8. Rivets 17 connect the spring plank to the seat member at or about the junctions of the cross bars 16 with the webs or flanges 10.

Reinforcing ribs 18 are preferably pro-- vided upon the casting, said ribs being interposed between and uniting the horizontal webs 10 with the depending flanges 12.

A spring plank and seat member constructed in accordance with my present invention is comparatively light in weight and of great strength value, the seating of the plank directly upon an adjacent side frame portion, together with the disposition of the metal in the seat member, permitting of the use of a very strong side frame, the construction falling within the A. R. A. standard of measurements with a constant depth of bolster opening and clearance between the underside of the frame and the top of the rail. It will be understood that my particular construction of spring plank and seat member is capable of use with tvpes of. side fumes other than that described wherein i is desirable to obtain increased cross sec-- tional areas at relatively weak portions of 1,eoe,495

the side frame, and at the same time maintain a constant depth of bolster opening and the required rail clearance.

I claim 1- 1. The combination with a car truck side frame having spaced inner and outer side walls provided with a bolster opening, stiffening flanges for said walls, said flanges being bent to form a seat portion at the bottom of the bolster opening, a spring plank adapted to rest upon said seat portion, and means including a single member adapted to embrace the side walls of the side frame for maintaining the spring plank in position, said means providing for an increased depth of each side wall beneatl'i the bolster opening while maintaining the rela tive depth of said opening constant.

2. The combination with a car truck side frame having a bolster opening and a beam member forming a spring plank seat portion, a spring plank adapted to rest upon said seat portion, and means adapted to engage the side frame adjacent the bolster opening the full width thereof for rigidly maintaining the spring plank therein, said means providing for an increased depth of beam member while maintaining the relative depth of bolster opening and the rail clearance beneath. said beam member constant.

3. The combination with a car truck side frame having a bolster opening and a beam member forming a spring plank seat portion, a spring plank resting directly upon said seat portion, and means including a single member connected to said spring plank and adapted to engage the side frame the full width thereof for maintaining the spring plank in relative fixed position both laterally and longitudinally of the side frame, said means permitting the use of a maximum depth of beam member without changing the relative constant depth of bolster opening or reducing the clearance between the bottom of the side frame and the top of the rail.

4. The combination with a car truck side frame. having inner and outer side walls, each of said'walls being formed with an opening, bottom arch bar portions and truck column portions for said side walls, stiffening flanges formed on said side walls and extending inwardly thereof, a spring plank seat member adapted to engage a portion of said flanges, and a spring plank adapted to engage another portion of said flanges.

5. The combination with a car truck side frame having a bolster opening and provided at its bottom with a seat portion, a spring plank seat member having portions embracing the side frame adjacent the bolster opening, said member being provided with an open portion, and a spring plank connected to said seat member with a portion thereof bridging the opening in said seat member, the portion of the spring plank bridging said opening being adapted to rest directly upon the seat portion of the side frame.

6. The combination with a car truckside frame having a bolster opening and a beam member forming a spring plank seat portion, a single spring plank seat member having depending portions adapted to embrace the beam member longitudinally thereof, and a spring plank above and connected to said seat member and adapted to engage the seat portion of the said beam member.

7. The combination with a car truck side frame having truck columns and a bolster opening, a beam member uniting said truck columns at the bottom of said opening, and a spring plank having portions extending below and above the spring seating surface of said plank, said portions being adapted to embrace the beam member and truck colnmns adjacent the bolster opening.

8. Thecombination with a car truck side frame provided with truck columns and a bolster opening, a beam member uniting said columns at the base of said opening, a spring plank having portions engaging the top of said beam member and the inner opposed faces of the truck columns, and means provided on said spring plank designed to embrace the beam member and truck colnmns, said means embracing the opposite side walls of the side frame at the junction of the. truck columns with the beam member.

9. The combination with a car truck side' frame involving an inner wall and an outer wall arranged in spaced relation thereto, each of said walls being provided with stiflening flanges and a bolster opening, said stiffening flanges providing a spring plank seat portion at the bottom of the bolster opening, a spring plank seat member having portions adapted to embrace the side walls, and a spring plank having a portion adapted to rest upon the seat portion formed by the stiffening flanges and another portion connected to said spring plank seat member.

10. The combination with a car truck side frame involving an inner wall and an outer wall arranged in spaced relation thereto, each of said walls being provided with stiffening flanges and a bolster opening, said stiffening flanges providing a spring plank seat portion at the bottom of the bolster opening, a spring plank seat member hav ing spaced portions adapted to embrace the side walls, means uniting said spaced por-- tions, and a spring plank provided with portions connected to the spaced portions of the seat member and another portion resting upon the seat portion formed by the stiffening flanges.

' 11. The combination with a car truck side frame involving an inner wall and an outer wall arranged in spaced relation thereto, each of said walls being provided with stiffening flanges and a bolster opening, said stiffening flanges providing a spring plank seat portion at the bottom of the bolster opening, a spring plank saddle casting having spaced portions adapted to embrace the side walls, means uniting said spaced portions, said means being formed integral therewith and designed to pass through the bolster opening above the stiffening flanges providing the spring plank seat portion, and a spring plank connected to the spaced portions of the seat member and having a portion directly resting upon the stiffening flanges forming the said seat portion.

12. The combination with a car truck side frame involving an inner wall and an outer wall arranged in spaced relation thereto, each of said walls being provided with stiffening flanges and a bolster opening, said stiffening flanges providing a spring plank seat portion at the bottom of the bolster opening, a spring plank saddle casting having spaced side portions providing seating surfaces for a spring plank, depending flanges on said casting adapted to embrace the side walls of the side frame, means integrally uniting said side portions and de pending flanges, said means passing through the bolster opening above the stlffening flanges forming the spring plank seat portion, and a spring plank connected to the spaced side portions of the casting and having a portion adapted to seat upon the stiffening flanges forming the seat portion of the side frame.

13. The combination with a car truck side frame involving an inner wall and an outer wall arranged in spaced relation thereto, each of said walls being provided with stiffening flanges and a bolster opening, said stiffening flanges providing a. spring blank seat portion at the bottom of the bolster opening, a spring plank seat member having spaced laterally extending webs providing seating surfaces for a spring plank, flanges provided on said webs adapted to embrace the side walls, a portion of each of said flanges being shaped to conform to the curvature of the metal at the junction of the side wall and its adjacent stiffening flange, and a spring plank connected to said webs and having a portion directly resting upon the seat portion formed by the stiffening flanges.

14. The combination with a car truck side frame involving an inner Wall and an outer wall arranged in spaced relation thereto, each of said walls being provided with stiffening flanges and a bolster opening, said stiffening flangesproviding a spring plank seat portion at the bottom of the bolster opening, a spring plank seat member having spaced laterally extending web-s providing seating surfaces for a spring plank, longitudinally extending vertically disposed flanges formed integral with said webs and adapted to embrace the side walls of the side frame, a portion of each of said flanges being shaped to conform to the curvature of the metal at the junction of the side wall and its adjacent stiffening flange, transversely disposed members form-ed integral with said webs and flanges, each of said transverse members having a portion shaped to conform to the curvature of the metal at the junction of the side wall and that portion of its stiffening flange adjacent the transverse members, and a spring plank connected to said laterally extending webs and transversely disposed members, said spring plank having a portion adapted to directly rest upon the stiffening flanges providing the seat portions of the side frame.

15. The combination with a car truck side frame involving spaced inner and outer walls, each of said side walls having a bolster opening and being provided with a bottom arch bar portion providing the beam member of the side frame, a spring plank seat member adapted to embrace the side walls of the side frame and being provided with portions adapted to overlie the side walls at the bottom of the bolster opening, said overlying portions terminating in laterally extending webs forming spring plank seating-surfaces arranged flush with the upper surface of the beam member, and a spring plank connected to said seat member and having a portion directly resting upon the upper surface of the beam member between the portions of the seat member overlying the side walls.

16. The combination with a car truck side frame involving spaced inner and outer walls, each of said side walls having a bolster opening and being provided with a bottom arch bar portion providing the beam member of the side frame, a spring plank seat casting having spaced laterally extending webs providing spring plank seat portions disposed flush with the upper surface of the beam member, means provided on said seat member for embracing the side walls of surfaces, each of said webs having a portion adapted to engage an adjacent side Wall of a side frame, and means connecting the ends of said Webs at points above said seating sur- 6 faces.

19. A spring plank seat member involving two horizontally disposed webs arranged in spaced relation and adapted to form spring plank seating surfaces dis osed in alinement' with the upper surface 0 the beam portion 10 of a side frame uniting the truck columns thereof, each of said webs having a portion adapted to engage an adjacent side wall of the side frame, and means uniting said Webs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DONALD S. BARROWS. 

